TX - Former NFL Antonio Armstrong & wife Dawn, both 42, fatally shot, Houston, *son charged* 29 Jul 2016 *Mistrials, 3rd trial in 2023 Guilty*

Awful to see this happened to this couple.....it sounds like they were good parents so I wonder what happened here.

And what's up with the note?


"Investigators who searched the southwest Houston home found a gun still smoking with a note next to it reading, “I’ve been watching you,” the TV station reported. Police arrested the 16-year-old boy. Sources close to the investigation said he was likely to be charged as an adult."

Wow.....this seems so tragic, sad, & strange. Glad that the other children were not harmed physically.
Devastating.

Prayers to the family members. :rose:

Blondie in Spokane said:

Awful to see this happened to this couple.....it sounds like they were good parents so I wonder what happened here.

And what's up with the note?


"Investigators who searched the southwest Houston home found a gun still smoking with a note next to it reading, “I’ve been watching you,” the TV station reported. Police arrested the 16-year-old boy. Sources close to the investigation said he was likely to be charged as an adult."

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Sounds like something an inexperienced kid would leave hoping to point blame to an "intruder."

Tragic. He must have been very angry with them for something.

I read a yahoo news blip about the shooting deaths yesterday, but nothing was mentioned about their kids, or the fact that the oldest had been arrested. Wow, so terribly sad. I hope they had family close to take the the other kids home with them. I can't even imagine getting so mad at somebody that I could kill them.

Indy Anna said:

Former NFL player Antonio Armstrong and his wife were fatally shot by their teenage son in the family’s Houston home early Friday, police said.
[....]
Investigators who searched the southwest Houston home found a gun still smoking with a note next to it reading, “I’ve been watching you,” the TV station reported. Police arrested the 16-year-old boy. Sources close to the investigation said he was likely to be charged as an adult.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...trong-wife-fatally-shot-son-article-1.2731656


The parents, both 42, were solid members of the community who operated a small chain of local fitness centers. He also was the assistant pastor at a Gulfton-area congregation where his mother presides.
[.....]
Houston police were sent to the 5300 block of Palmetto near Mapleridge around 1:30 a.m. Friday following reports of gunshots.

Jimmy Dodson, a Houston Police Department homicide investigator, said authorities were trying to piece together what sparked the gunfire. Officers found no forced entry at the home. Two of the couple's children, who were at home at the time of the shooting, were not hurt.

Dodson described the father as a "hard-working bread-winner" and said there appeared to be no friction in the household.

"It was kind of an all-American family," the investigator said. The teen was placed in juvenile custody.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...er-wounded-in-SW-Houston-shooting-8601043.php

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Awful for the children who were in the house but at least they weren't hurt and they might be able to help figure out what happened.

Very successful and seemingly close family. The suspect is actually the middle child, with an older brother and a younger sister, both of whom were also in the home at the time of the murders. Can't even imagine what the motive might have been.

Son of former Texas A&M football player faces capital murder charge in parents' deaths

The 16-year-old charged in shootings that killed his parents – Houston businessman Antonio Armstrong and his wife, Dawn – faces one count of capital murder, the Houston Police Department reported on Saturday morning.
[.....]
The teen was arrested around 2:20 a.m. Friday, HPD reported. A motive in the attack has not been released. It is unclear whether the teen with [sic] face an additional charge in the death of his father.

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<snipped>
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...r-Texas-A-M-football-player-faces-8735248.php

danielkk said:

Very successful and seemingly close family. The suspect is actually the middle child, with an older brother and a younger sister, both of whom were also in the home at the time of the murders. Can't even imagine what the motive might have been.

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Right, its way too early to know what the motive was but we still have our opinions that may change or may not if the motive comes out. Going by the many cases that have happened in recent years I think the motive will turnout to be as nonsensical/trivial as the double murders themselves.

What we are seeing of late is teens who go into a murderous rage over the most mundane insignificant things nowadays. We have seen teens kill for financial gain immaturely thinking with the parents out of the way they will be able to stay in the home and have all of the assets and can do whatever they want. Then we see teens kill their parent/s over a stupid X-box being taken away from them because of their bad behavior.

The ridiculousness of the motives can run the gambit now. Everything from feeling entitled believing the world revolves solely around them and that is the only one they care about or being told the forbidden word 'no' about something or someone. Or they did not like to do chores and didn't like having to look after their younger siblings or they didn't like to be under the parents rules and guidelines the parents set forth expecting them to follow. They have even murdered because they didn't get to date a particular person or didn't get to be with their friends they wanted to hang around them. Usually when that is the motive the parents didn't approve of the person their child wanted to be with. Both female and male teens have murdered their parents for some of the most mind boggling stupid reasons.

I am just guessing of course but IMOO, I do think it will turnout to be something to do with narcissistic behavior and attitude. Imo, he didn't get his way about something.

It is very rare for a teen child who has been abused by their parents to actually windup murdering them. The vast majority endure it and escape the first opportunity they get. So I don't think this has anything with the parents being abusive. I think it will turnout to be they were loving and devoted parents to all of their children. If it does turnout to be another mind blowing reason again it shows us just a short the fuses are by some of these teems. It seems if the parents ticked them off even slightly they go into a murderous rage and several times this has been the result of that unbridled uncontrollable rage.

I have a feeling they both were probably in bed asleep when he killed them. That way he wouldn't have to confront his father who was a large man. I think he went in to their bedroom and shot them both in the head. Most likely his dad was first.

Imo, He thought their were standing in the way of him getting to do something he wanted to do or they were standing in his way from being around someone he wanted to be around more than he wanted his parents around.

The note--'Ive been watching you..' yikes----it sound very much like something my schizophrenic, paranoid, brother would say. He always talked about 'watching' someone or something, implying he knew they were a threat to him somehow. I won't be surprised if the middle kid ends up being mentally ill.

May the devoted husband and wife (mom and dad) Rest in Heaven.

This is so sad.

mrsobrien said:

This is so sad.

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Agree. I would be so mentally disorganized if my kids ever tried to kill me or moms or both. Jmo.

Your last questions in this situation is why.

But your last thoughts is may God forgive our kid during this ordeal as they (the kid) is currently lost. Jmo.

So in all honesty. During the time of the shootings. I think the parents wish the son good luck. As they knew that it was over and their son would have to pay for the consequences that he couldn't foresee. Jmo

The son was apparently a football star at his school. Another possibility is that he's suffered multiple concussions eventually leading to a TBI.
Personality change is one on of the first symptoms....

It was rumored, i.e., by no means confirmed, that the son was grounded by his parents and not allowed to used the car.

They seemed to live a comfortable life, kids were privileged, probably a little spoiled, and for this, he punished his parents for loving him and striving to give him a good life. If he killed them over use of the car, then I think he is a selfish, spoiled rotten little brat! Sorry, that's exactly what I think.
If he did have problems associated with playing sports, I would think his dad would have recognized the connection. Three of my sons played football, my youngest had two mild concussions, luckily, there didn't seem to be any residual problems.
I hate to hear about the possibility of a mental illness, but that would be something concrete that caused these murders, and not just a kid "flying off the handle" because he was mad.

Looks like Antonio's mother has custody of the kids. She sounds like a pretty amazing woman, imho.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...aches-just-days-after-her-son-and-8900657.php

glf said:

They seemed to live a comfortable life, kids were privileged, probably a little spoiled, and for this, he punished his parents for loving him and striving to give him a good life. If he killed them over use of the car, then I think he is a selfish, spoiled rotten little brat! Sorry, that's exactly what I think.
If he did have problems associated with playing sports, I would think his dad would have recognized the connection. Three of my sons played football, my youngest had two mild concussions, luckily, there didn't seem to be any residual problems.
I hate to hear about the possibility of a mental illness, but that would be something concrete that caused these murders, and not just a kid "flying off the handle" because he was mad.

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Yes, generally TBI would show later in life, but I don't think we can rule it out just yet. (Glad you son is OK
Another thought is what if he was using steroids heavily. That could cause mood changes as well as fits of rage. Hopefully they will do toxicology tests to determine if there was any drug usage.

Also rumored that he was mad because his father wouldn't buy him a pair of Jordans. Sounds like forum gossip to me.